1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the removal of cerumen or earwax from a hearing aid. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for removing cerumen from hearing aids wherein a centrifuge arrangement rotates a chamber at a high rate of rotational speed, the chamber being specially configured to contain multiple hearing aids or a hearing aid and a counterweight that are in opposed, 180 degree apart positions.
2. General Background of the Invention
Hearing aid wearers are frequently presented with the problem of removing cerumen or earwax from a hearing aid. A hearing aid that becomes clogged with cerumen or earwax does not function properly.
Since the beginning of connecting electronic devices intended to transfer electro-acoustic energy directly to the human ear, the efficient, reliable performance, and the life-span of these devices have been limited by cerumen buildup within key components.
These devices include hearing aids, tinnitus sound generators, delayed amplification devices used to manage stuttering, active hearing protectors, cellular phones, FM systems, and numerous other communication devices, The industries producing, the professionals dispensing, and the consumers using these products are in need of a novel cleaning system to effectively manage cerumen impaction.
Many products have been fabricated to manage cerumen impaction. These include heaters, suction pumps, vacuum domes, and wax removal screws
In addition, desiccants have been developed to dry ear-worn devices in an effort to return them to normal operating specifications. Solvents have been developed to deodorize, disinfect, and free the foreign obstructions from devices.
These systems are in wide use in the hearing industry today, but they have all performed with less than optimum results. Vacuum hoses incorporated in many designs to suction cerumen out of receiver tubing have probably damaged as many units as they have helped, and have not addressed cerumen buildup within the receivers themselves.
Typical cerumen is composed of solid, liquid, and gaseous elements. It has acids, fats, cholesterol, lipids, oils, inert matter, and heavy metals. Each cerumen component has its own vapor pressure, specific gravity, particle mass, molecular structure, and bonding characteristic. Cerumen is also acidic, ranging from 4.0 to 6.1 on the pH scale.
Complicating the issue is that there are two general categories of cerumen. Dry cerumen has dense, waxy characteristics. It is very visible upon otoscopic examination of the ear. It is this type of cerumen that impacts the ear canal itself, often requiring medical intervention to remove the blockage. In ear-worn devices, this type of cerumen typically clogs up the receiver tube, and is relatively easy to remove. Liquid cerumen has oily, fatty characteristics, and is often undetected during otoscopic examination. It is this type of cerumen that most readily invades ear-worn instrument components.
The typical ear level communication device has electronic components including a receiver, which is analogous to a speaker. This receiver becomes saturated with cerumen over time as a result of the capillary action of liquid cerumen. The receiver itself is electrically charged, drawing atomized cerumen into all areas of the receiver by the charged, sound generating diaphragm. The receiver further acts as a heat sink. During the heating cycle caused by the warm ear and the heat generated due to electrical operation, it is likely that a creep factor causes the wax to flow to the receiver. The cooling cycle, which occurs during the turned offmode when the device is sitting at rest, facilitates congealing of the liquid cerumen within the receiver. The resulting added mass of the cerumen on the receiver diaphragm causes low output distortion and loss of high frequency response. In addition, acids within the cerumen cause deterioration of the diaphragm suspension, resulting in receiver failure.
Applying the principles of angular acceleration to a complex body excretion such as cerumen addresses a multitude of chemical elements in various states. Subjecting centripetal acceleration to this chemical composite causes cerumen to separate into high mass particles and low mass particles. Those low mass particles have a lower vapor pressure, and are subject to centrifugal evaporation. The normal force of acceleration concurrently drives the high mass particles out of the device as a function of gravitational force.
The following U.S. patent documents are incorporated herein by reference: 2003/0196687; 2003/0198361; 2002/0126864; 5,404,105; 4,901,391; 5,898,972; 2,675,814; 4,953,215.
U.S. Publication No. 2003/0196687 discusses generally cleaning cerumen or earwax out of a hearing aid, by using a centrifuge, see paragraph (0051).
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,898,972 and 4,901,391 disclose tools used to clean earwax from a hearing aid.
U.S. Patent/Publication Nos. 5,404,105 and 2002/0126864 disclose kits or multi-use devices for cleaning and maintaining a hearing aid.